In general, a slide fastener, for example, includes left and right fastener stringers in which continuous fastener elements in a coil shape or a zigzag shape are attached to fastener tapes. In this case, the continuous fastener elements in the coil or zigzag shape are manufactured such that a thermoplastic synthetic resin is molded by extrusion in a line to form a monofilament, a part of the obtained monofilament is pressed at a predetermined interval to form coupling heads, and thus the monofilament is formed in the coil or zigzag shape.
In general, clothes and bags have been made in a variety of designs, and brand new designs are developing for the purpose of enhancing the product value. In recent years, the slide fasteners used for these clothes and bags are also expected to be excellent in design, and the fastener tapes and the fastener elements in various patterns and colors are coming into the market.
An example of method for coloring the fastener tape and the fastener element includes a dyeing method employing a beam dyeing (also referred to as a piece dyeing) in which a continuous fastener stringer is wound on a dyeing beam to dye the fastener stringer by dipping the stringer-winding beam in a dyeing vessel. Further, a continuous dyeing method is known in which the continuous fastener stringer is transported while being immersed in a dyeing bath, and then the fastener stringer is subjected to thermal treatment.
In addition, as a method of making patterns on the fastener tape and the fastener element for the enhancement in designs, patterns of pictures or the like are printed on the fastener tape and the fastener element through an inkjet scheme and then the fastener stringer is subjected to thermal treatment for the coloring.
For example, a method and an apparatus for dyeing the slide fastener through the inkjet scheme are disclosed in JP 4-24004 A (Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1 mainly describes the inkjet scheme for dyeing the slide fastener in which the fastener element is attached to the fastener tape through injection molding. However, there is no specific description about the method of dyeing the slide fastener in which the continuous fastener element described above is attached to the fastener tape.
In the method of dyeing the slide fastener disclosed in Patent Document 1, ink droplets are first ejected from inkjet nozzles onto one surface of the slide fastener provided with the fastener element formed by injection-molding a synthetic resin, so that a pattern is formed on the surface of the slide fastener. Thereafter, the patterned slide fastener is subjected to the thermal treatment to fix the dye placed on the slide fastener to the fastener tape and the fastener element.